Photo: Turkey Your Way
Çifte Minareli Madrasa
Two fluted brick minarets over a carved stone portal in the old center of Erzurum.
Overview
Erzurum keeps many buildings from its Seljuk and Ilkhanid centuries. Two fluted minarets of brick and blue-glazed tile rise over a tall stone portal at the edge of the old center. This is the Çifte Minareli Madrasa, the “madrasa with twin minarets”, built as a school in the last years of the Seljuk era. For the old city and Tortum Waterfall in one day, join our Erzurum tour.
The Story of the Çifte Minareli Madrasa
The building carries no inscription, so its exact date is unknown, but it is generally accepted as a work of the end of the 13th century. Two traditions name its patron. It may have been built by Hundi Hatun, a daughter of the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat, or by Padişah Hatun, a princess of the Ilkhanids. That is why it is also known as the Hatuniye Madrasa.
Later, Sultan Murad IV repaired it, and for a time it even served as an arsenal. From 1942 to 1967, it housed the Erzurum Museum.
What to See at the Çifte Minareli Madrasa
First, stand in front of the portal. On either side, the two minarets rise about 26 meters (85 feet), their brick shafts set with glazed tiles. Walk into the courtyard. The madrasa measures about 35 by 46 meters (115 by 150 feet) and has two storeys around an open court with four iwans, the vaulted halls where students once gathered.
On the Tentative List With Four Other Cities
Since 2014, the Anatolian Seljuk madrasas of Erzurum, Sivas, Kayseri, Konya and Kırşehir have stood together as one entry on Turkey’s UNESCO Tentative List. A few minutes’ walk away, the Yakutiye Madrasa of 1310, built under the Ilkhanids, now holds the Museum of Turkish-Islamic Arts and Ethnography, so you can see the two great madrasas of Erzurum in one morning.
Our notes for the Çifte Minareli Madrasa
- DateEnd of the 13th century (no inscription)
- MinaretsAbout 26 m (85 ft), brick and glazed tile
- PlanTwo storeys, four iwans, open courtyard
- TodayMuseum and exhibition hall
Our suggestion Come in the late afternoon, when the low sun lights the brick minarets, then walk on to the Three Tombs and the Yakutiye Madrasa nearby.
How to Visit the Çifte Minareli Madrasa
The madrasa stands in the Tebriz Kapı quarter of the Yakutiye district, in the old center of Erzurum. Afterward, see the Three Tombs, the Yakutiye Madrasa and the Erzurum Castle, all within walking distance. We add the Çifte Minareli Madrasa to your Erzurum walk.
Would you like to see Erzurum with a local guide, or combine it with Kars and the Black Sea coast? Our Erzurum tour starts at this madrasa in the old city and ends at the Tortum waterfall, and our Erzurum guide covers the rest of the city.
Because its twin minarets of brick and tile rise over the old center of Erzurum. Stand in the courtyard and look up at the iwans that once held students.
Map
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab) Open in Apple Maps (opens in a new tab)
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
When was the Çifte Minareli Madrasa built?
It has no inscription, so it is generally dated to the end of the 13th century.
Who built it?
It may have been commissioned by Hundi Hatun, daughter of the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat, or by an Ilkhanid princess, Padişah Hatun; that is why it is also called the Hatuniye Madrasa.
How tall are the minarets?
About 26 meters (85 feet), in glazed brick and brick.
What is inside today?
The building is a museum and exhibition hall.
Is the Çifte Minareli Madrasa on the UNESCO list?
Erzurum is one of the five cities in the joint entry 'Anatolian Seljuk Madrasas', on Turkey's UNESCO Tentative List since 2014.
